Mighty Hiccup, the Dragon Master
by Dashistna
Summary: Every ten years, the chiefs of the tribes of Berk, Vikhaugr, and Bergklettr meet to sign a peace treaty. This time, the chiefs of Vikhaugr and Bergklettr have heard stories of a great Dragon Master on Berk. This story takes place just after Defenders of Berk.


The Great Hall of Berk was decorated with the finest tapestries and banners. It was time for the conference of chiefs, the time the peace treaties would be signed again for another ten years. The chiefs of the tribes of Berk, Vikhaugr, and Bergklettr would shortly gather together to ensure peace.

The chief of Berk stepped outside his house, a short way down the hill from the Great Hall. He stroked his wild red beard while carefully holding his back straight. The ceremonial belt he wore was designed for a man smaller than himself – not that it was hard to be smaller than Stoick the Vast. Weighing in at four hundred pounds, he was a mass of solid muscle.

He walked up the hill to the Great Hall, the morning mist thinning as he went higher. He open the huge, heavy door, stepping inside.

"Stoick! It is good to see you again!" cried a man inside. Although muscular himself, he was at least a hundred pounds lighter than Stoick, and he stood half a head shorter. He wore his pale blond hair in a short braid much like Stoick's, but his beard was kept short and neat. His clothes were cut in a style which reflected that he was from closer to the mainland of Norway.

"Canute!" Stoick greeted the chief of Vikhaugr. "It's been a long time."

"That it has," Canute agreed. "It's been ten years! Has that boy of yours grown?"

"Yes, yes he has," Stoick nodded. "Not as you'd expect, though."

"I've heard much about him," Canute said. "Trader Johann brings reports that he has brought down the Night Fury! And a dragon bigger than any that can be imagined, a Red Death! That's even bigger than you, Stoick!" he laughed, slapping Stoick across the back.

Stoick joined in the laughter. "Yes, Hiccup has done me proud," he agreed.

The door flew open once again and another viking walked in. "Halstein!" greeted Stoick. The chief of Bergklettr strode into the Great Hall, the door swinging half shut behind him. He was more muscular than Canute, but he stood at the same height, making Stoick tower over both of them.

"Stoick, Canute! You two are a sight for sore eyes!" He made his way away from the door. Stoick and Canute turned around to look at him, turning their backs to the door. They didn't notice as two small figures with long, blond hair sneaked into the Great Hall, hiding behind a tapestry.

"You wouldn't believe what happened to my ship!" Halstein exclaimed, running his fingers through his short blond hair. "I was in the harbor, docking my ship, when this green Zippleback flew in and blasted my ship clear out of the water!"

"Is everyone alright?" Stoick demanded, concern showing in his eyes.

"Yes, we're all fine, but it was the strangest thing! The dragon didn't have a rider, but it seemed to be responding to some commands I couldn't hear, like if someone was hiding and giving it signals. I've heard stories of your people doing that."

Stoick looked up in shock. "The Thorston twins," he muttered. Regaining his composure, he stood up. "Don't worry, Halstein. I'll get your ship repaired and back into the water, _and_ get to the bottom of this." He started toward the door.

"Easier said than done," Halstein replied. "It's halfway on the dock. It'd take a miracle to get it back in the water sooner than tonight."

"Yes, it'll take a miracle… or a dragon," Stoick said. "And the stories about my son taming a Night Fury aren't wrong. I'll just borrow his dragon, and I'll be back within half an hour."

As Stoick pulled the door open farther to leave, Canute called out, "When do we get to meet this boy of yours?"

Stoick paused a second. Then he responded, "I'll have him drop by soon." He continued outside.

"Well, we've got a little wait before us," Halstein said. "Even with a Night Fury, there's no way Stoick can move that ship anytime soon. Surely the beast isn't completely tamed to do work."

"I don't know how anyone can tame the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself!" Canute exclaimed. He waved his muscular arms around for emphases. "This son of Stoick's must have don't some serious growing since we last saw him. He used to be such a wee little thing!"

Halstein nodded. "That he did," he chuckled. "Just a tiny kid, struggling to lift his little legs up the stairs!" He rubbed his hand slowly against his armored bracer as he continued, thinking aloud. "How old must he be now? Sixteen years?"

"Mm, yep, that sounds right," Canute agreed. "He can't be such a little thing now, though. I've heard stories about him. They say he's even taller than Stoick himself!"

"Yes, and with arms as big around as the trunk of a tree!" Halstein continued. "The rumors of his battles against the Outcasts and the Berserkers are astounding! Leading a dragon army, wrestling down Alvin the Treacherous single-handedly!"

"This Hiccup fellow seems like he must be astounding! They call him 'The Dragon Conqueror' in my parts."

"In my islands, he's 'The Dragon Master.' Or sometimes 'The Great Defender.' They say you can hear his footsteps from a quarter mile away!"

"Then it shouldn't be too hard to hear when he arrives," laughed Canute.

"Nay, that it shouldn't," agreed the other chief. "Imagine, bringing down a Night Fury! He must've had the strength of a hundred men, and the speed of lightning!"

"And the courage of a mighty warrior. I'm glad to have him in a peaceful tribe. If he were a pirate, I don't know what we'd do."

"Certainly not survive, that's for sure," chortled Halstein. "He sounds like the type who can win a war without an army!"

As they were talking, the huge door was pushed open. A short boy with auburn hair hesitantly stepped inside, lingering just inside the door.

"Hey, what this?" Halstein asked. "Come here, Boy!"

The boy walked closer to the chiefs, looking a little intimidated. His boot made no noise against the floor, but his metal prosthetic clanged softly, making his footsteps sound even more hesitant than they were.

"I'm sure your chief has told you who we are," Halstein said. "Are you here to earn a few coins from us?"

"Earn a few coins?" the boy asked, confused. He was, after all, the chief's son, Hiccup. Why would he need to earn some coins?

"Sure," Canute put in. "I'm sure you'd love to take some money home to your family! You can start earning some if you'll fetch me some of the fine honey wine your island is famous for!"

"Oh, I don't think you understand!" Hiccup said as the situation dawned on him. "I'm not –"

 _Achoo!_

A sneeze sounded out loudly, echoing throughout the Great Hall.

The two chiefs, now on alert, whipped their heads around. A boy with long blond hair stepped out from behind the tapestry, followed by a girl, also with long blonde hair.

Hiccup was confused. "Um, Tuff..."

"Yes! Yes, that's who I am! I'm… Tuffman!" Tuffnut stammered. He gestured to his sister. "And this is… Ruffman. No, woman. Ruffwoman!"

"Let me get this straight. Your names are Tuffman and Ruffwoman?" Canute asked.

"Yes! We our our father's representatives. Stoick the Vast invited us to partake in this peace meeting to end the wars between our tribes." Hiccup couldn't believe his ears at what Tuffnut said. What did the twins have to hide?

"And just where is your tribe?" asked Halstein.

"It's… the Northern Islands."

"I'm not sure I know where those are," Halstein admitted.

"They're… south of here," Ruffnut put in. Tuffnut glared at her.

"Oh, that makes sense," Canute said. After all, Berk was placed extremely far north. Even islands to the south could be considered "northern."

"Wait, it does?" Tuffnut asked. Then, clearing his throat, he exclaimed, "Oh, yes, it _does_!"

"So, Tuffman, why couldn't your father join us himself? Peace is no childrens' errand," Halstein said.

"Our poor father is sick," Tuffnut said, pretending to look sad.

"To the point of death," Ruffnut added.

"But he wanted to see peace before he died," Tuffnut continued.

"Then we shall do our best to honor his wishes," Halstein vowed. "There is no nobler pursuit than peace."

"That there is not," Tuffnut said grandly, "except that of helping those in poverty, like this poor, poor Berkian here." He gestured to Hiccup.

"I'm not–" Hiccup began.

"Shh!" Ruffnut cut him off, pressing her finger to Hiccup's lips. Hiccup was stunned into silence for a few seconds. "We know you have your pride to maintain," Ruffnut assured him.

"These poor Berkians never like to admit their status," Tuffnut explained.

Regaining his composure, Hiccup realized that the twins were up to something, but he wasn't sure what. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"It's alright, Lad," Canute said. "We're going to help you, see?"

"I don't need..."

"Ah, yes," Tuffnut said. He leaned in close to Canute and Halstein. "The Berkians always try to maintain their pride. You have to be forceful to get them to agree to accept help," he whispered.

"Are you sure of that?" Canute asked.

"Yes, yes, quite a tragic state of affairs. Stoick has been trying to change it for years, but some changes are so hard to make."

"I understand," Canute nodded. He stroked his blond beard for a few seconds. He knew that if this boy was as poor as Tuffman said, he needed a few coins to bring home to his family. He hated to seem harsh to the boy, but he had to do whatever had to be done.

"Boy!" he barked out. "Fetch us some of your best mead!"

"But… I- I..." Hiccup stammered.

"No arguments!" Canute, despite being a fierce warrior, hated to yell at the boy.

Hiccup hesitated a second before scurrying away to do what the man said.

"He's a good kid," Tuffnut said. "A little shy, but he'll get over it."

"I hope so," Halstein said. "He seems bright enough."

Ruffnut and Tuffnut fidgeted nervously. They knew that Hiccup would eventually be able to spill the beans about their little masquerade, but they had to keep him quiet for the time being. They couldn't let him tell Halstein that they were the Thorston twins, or Halstein would know that they had made Barf and Belch wreck his boat in a monumental prank. By the time that Hiccup had a chance to let the cat out of the bag, they wanted to be far away from Berk for a couple of days, until the worst of Stoick's anger had worn off.

Hiccup came back, holding two mugs of mead. The look on his face was one of utter confusion.

"Ah, excellent!" Canute cheered, taking his mug. "Here, Boy, for your fast service, you may have double the usual tip!" He pressed a few coins into Hiccup's hand.

"You- You don't seem to understand…" Hiccup tried to say.

"Oh, don't worry, we understand," Halstein said. "We have more work for you. You can polish my sword here," he went on, tossing a sword to Hiccup. "Get to it, then!"

Although Hiccup normally took on a strong stance, he was intimidated by these men. Even though he could burst out and explain the situation, he knew that would invite suspicion on their parts. Suspicion would cause them to doubt the wisdom of the peace treaty between the tribes. Diplomacy was the best bet, so Hiccup set his mind to the task. He moved halfway across the Great Hall to where a fire burned in a hearth, so he could see better.

"So, Tuffman, Ruffwoman," Canute said, "have you two been here long?"

"Only a few days," Ruffnut said.

"A week or two," Tuffnut put in at the exact same time. The two chiefs gave them confused looks.

"Days, weeks, what is _time_ to a viking?" Tuffnut laughed nervously.

Canute and Halstein looked at each other, bursting out laughing. "Yes, yes, this boy has it figured out!" Halstein roared.

The twins slumped backward in relief.

"Have you seen much of the Dragon Master, son of Stoick the Vast?" asked Canute, once their boisterous laughter had died down.

The twins nearly choked over thin air. "Th-The Dragon Master?" Tuffnut stuttered, his eyes flitting over to Hiccup.

"Tuffman is simply scared to say it aloud," Ruffnut tried to smooth it over. She lowered her voice. "The Dragon Master is Tuffnut's hero."

Regaining his composure, Tuffnut agreed. "He's strong. He brought down a Night Fury. He defeated the Berserkers and the Outcasts, single-handedly! And he's really cool – almost as cool as I am," Tuffnut said.

"Ah, Tuffman has a sense of humor," laughed Halstein.

"What does he look like now?" inquired Canute. "I haven't seen him in ten years."

"Umm... you've seen him before?" Tuffnut worried. "What did he look like then?"

"Well," Canute began, "he looked like a slightly smaller version of that boy over there." He gestured to Hiccup. "Without the metal leg, of course."

"Well, I can assure you, he looks nothing like that boy now," Ruffnut said.

"Nope!" Tuffnut put in.

"Not at all," Ruffnut went on.

"Then what does he look like?" Canute asked.

"Um… he is very tall, unlike that boy, and he is very… um… muscular, unlike that boy…" Tuffnut started. "He's huge, huge, I tell you! Not at all scrawny and thin like that peasant boy over there."

"Nope, he is much bigger than that boy," Ruffnut confirmed.

"He's fierce, and not at all timid like that boy," Tuffnut continued.

"And he definitely did not lose his leg in his fight with the Red Death, unlike that boy," Ruffnut said.

"Not that that boy lost his leg in a fight with the Red Death," Tuffnut assured them.

"That would be crazy, because the Dragon Master is very much unlike that boy," Ruffnut concluded.

At that moment, Hiccup came back across the Great Hall. He handed the sword to Halstein. "Look, in all fairness, I should tell you–"

"That Berkians don't accept double pay twice in a row!" Ruffnut interjected.

"What? No!" Hiccup protested.

"Well, it's too bad you don't," Halstein said, examining the sword. "Such speed, such skill! Were you trained as a blacksmith, Lad?"

"Well, yes, but that isn't the point," Hiccup began quickly.

"Ah, yes, Berkians do not accept extra pay for being skilled," Tuffnut interrupted.

"I've got to ask Stoick about all these strange customs the Berkians have," Halstein mused. "I suppose this is what happens when a tribe is mostly cut off from others, battling dragons most of the time."

"But Stoick said those days are in the past," Canute reminded him. "For around a year now, ever since the Dragon Master took charge of the dragons."

"Dragon Master?" Hiccup asked. "Is that what you're calling m–"

"Mighty Hiccup!" Ruffnut jutted in. "Yes, peasant, that is what these chiefs' tribes call Mighty Hiccup!"

"Mighty Hiccup?!" Hiccup exclaimed, bewildered.

"Yes, rumors about him have reached all around the archipelago and beyond!" Canute said.

"Here's your pay," Halstein told Hiccup, giving him a few coins. Hiccup, being utterly confused, took them in almost a daze.

"Now," Tuffnut said, "Stoick the Vast informed me of another strange tradition the Berkians have. Before each chief meeting, all visiting chiefs must take off their left boots and let them air outside for an hour before the meeting may begin."

"I don't remember such a tradition," Canute said.

"It's a new tradition," Ruffnut informed him.

"Very new," Tuffnut added.

"Well, if that's the case…" Canute said his voice trailing off. "Here, Boy, we've got another job for you."

Hiccup didn't even know what to think at this point. Over the last year, he had been becoming more confident and outspoken, but this insanity was enough to make his head spin.

"We insist on paying you extra," Halstein said. "I'm sure even Berkians, with all their strange customs, have perfected the smell of viking feet!" He and Canute roared with laughter again, the twins joining in nervously.

"Here, take these," Canute said, as he and Halstein pulled off their left boots.

Hiccup took the boots, still in a confused state.

"Put them just outside the door. Your customs may be strange, but we will honor them. Just don't get them too close to your face. We wouldn't want you to pass out!" Once again, the chiefs roared with laughter.

Bewildered, Hiccup set off to do that last task. _As soon as I'm back, I'll tell them_ , he resolved. _I don't know how, but I have to! The twins are up to something!_

As he heard them go back to more overly exaggerated tales of the "Dragon Master" (apparently, he had destroyed Dagur's armada with only a fish line and a toothpick) he shook his head. He had to make sure they knew the truth about him.

He slipped out of the Great Hall, holding the boots as far away from his face as possible. Up until now, he had held his breath. But as he leaned over to place the boots down, he accidentally inhaled.

Canute was wrong. Berkian men had horrible smelling feet, but it was nothing compared to these boots.

Gagging and coughing, Hiccup collapsed into a hunched-over heap on the steps. What did those chiefs _do_ to their boots?

For nearly ten seconds, Hiccup fought the urge to throw up from the smell. He was suddenly glad that he'd had a light breakfast that morning.

Meanwhile, down at the docks, Stoick was just finishing nudging Halstein's ship into the water. The repairs needed had been light, so it wasn't long at all before the ship was fixed.

If Stoick didn't know better, he would say that Toothless was acting relieved that he wouldn't have to carry the four hundred pound man much longer. But of course that wasn't true, Stoick was the chief! Toothless was honored!

"Good job," Stoick congratulated Toothless, patting the side of his head. All of a sudden, he saw Toothless's ears perk up, listening to a sound that seemed to be coming from the village. Stoick couldn't hear anything, but he knew that dragons, Night Furies in particular, had a much sharper sense of hearing than humans do.

Toothless growled in a way he only did in one circumstance – if Hiccup was in trouble.

"Let's go, Toothless!" Stoick said. Toothless spread his strong black wings, taking off into the sky. He normally seemed strained under Stoick's weight, but right now, he just seemed frantic in his need to get to Hiccup.

With Stoick's help adjusting his prosthetic tail fin, Toothless swept almost straight up to the top of the cliff overlooking the docks. He leveled off, sweeping just above the village to the steps of the Great Hall. There, he landed.

Stoick jumped off, and Toothless bounded a few jumps to where Hiccup was, a few steps below the huge doors. Toothless worriedly nudged Hiccup's face as Hiccup seemed to be recovering from a spell of coughing and gagging.

"Hiccup, what's wro – what is that _smell_?" Stoick asked.

"It's their boots, Dad, only the left ones, though."

"Are you alright? What is going on here?"

"I'll be fine," Hiccup said weakly, his face pale. "It's the twins. I don't know what they're up to."

"The twins," Stoick whispered, realizing what the trouble might be.

He threw open the doors to the Great Hall, striding inside. The doors remained open behind him, casting a broad beam of light, silhouetting his frame. Ruffnut and Tuffnut froze when they saw him.

"Stoick! That was faster than I expected!" Halstein exclaimed.

"Yes, with the help of my son's dragon," Stoick responded. "Speaking of my son, just what is going on here, Ruffnut and Tuffnut?"

"Hey, you told us your names were Ruffwoman and Tuffman!" Canute cried indignantly.

"Ha, ha, funny thing about that," Tuffnut started weakly.

"So I'm guessing you're not actually representatives of the Northern Islands?" Halstein deducted.

"I think you'll find that these are the two who were signaling to that green Zippleback that blew your ship out of the water," Stoick told Halstein.

"You don't have any proof, Chief!" Tuffnut tried, unable to meet Stoick's gaze.

"Yeah, we haven't even seen Barf and Belch all day! They're definitely nowhere near us," Ruffnut confirmed.

As if in response to that, Barf and Belch stuck their heads in the door. Pushing Hiccup aside a little, the Zippleback ran up to the twins.

"Traitors," Ruffnut muttered under her breath.

"Now, you two had better start telling us the truth," Canute demanded. "Just what are you up to?"

"We kind of, you know, figured that we'd lay low until we could get away," Tuffnut explained. "What better place than in the last place you'd think to look, right under your noses? It was a great plan, until some muttonhead I know decided to sneeze and give us away!"

"You were the one who sneezed!" Ruffnut exploded at her brother, whamming her head into his.

"I know! I'm the biggest muttonhead I know!" Tuffnut shot back.

"Everyone knows I'm the bigger muttonhead!" Ruffnut countered. The twins started slamming their heads against each other.

"Why the elaborate ruse?" Halstein broke in, pulling them apart. "Why did you keep telling us of fake traditions?"

"We needed to keep Hiccup quiet," Tuffnut confessed. "Until we could find a way to slip away for a few days."

Both Canute and Halstein froze. "Wait – Hiccup?" Halstein asked.

"Didn't he drop by?" Stoick asked.

"The only other person who came by was a poor boy from the village… or was he?" Canute demanded of the twins.

"Well, not exactly," Ruffnut said.

"Yeah," Tuffnut laughed weakly. "You know those stories of Hiccup being a huge warrior?"

"They… aren't exactly true," his sister admitted.

"Nope, he's still pretty scrawny," Tuffnut said.

"And weak," Ruffnut continued.

"And totally not as cool as me," Tuffnut asserted.

"That's enough," Stoick said. "Rest assured, you'll be facing some serious consequences for this. This is the third diplomatic talk you've nearly ruined this year alone!"

The twins had the good sense to look ashamed of themselves.

"Now," Stoick said, addressing the other chiefs as he turned to the door. Hiccup stood there, with Toothless by his side. With the light streaming in behind him, he looked strong and fierce for a second, the dragon's shadowy figure helping the image.

But as he moved away from the light, the illusion of strength faded. In that vision's place was only a scrawny boy, his waist about the same size around as his father's arm. What did not fade was the pride in Stoick's eyes as he pulled the boy close to him and said, "I'd like you to meet my son, Hiccup… the Dragon Trainer."


End file.
